


the child of four

by iseemikimouse



Series: The Tale of Four [1]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Implied/Referenced Character Death, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Kinda, Magical Creatures, Oh Sehun-centric, Other, Past Character Death, implied magical quest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-28
Updated: 2019-11-28
Packaged: 2021-01-03 13:06:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21179912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iseemikimouse/pseuds/iseemikimouse
Summary: Sehun knows that he's the one who needs to save both the godsrealm and his world from collapsing, but the gods he needs to work with are the ones he blames for the death of his beloved. Does he help his beloved's killers or let the world crumble?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> so this. i don't even know what to say. i hope that you enjoy this fic. there really is no pairing, only in the past which is why that it's tagged. is it important, yes, but he doesn't actively pursue it? if that makes sense. i feel like you have to read this in order to understand what i mean. there are other ships and odd pairings running around. i always have so much fun with it. always. 
> 
> this was ACTUALLY supposed to be a lot longer than it is, but time and my mind got away from me and yeah. i've sat at my computer for hours trying to figure out the proper way to write this story and i honestly couldn't. this is the end result after staring at a blank screen for many hours. i'm sorry if this isn't what the prompter wanted. /sigh. (this is prompt l74)
> 
> but with all of that being said, i really hope that you somewhat enjoy this fic. and please, don't mind the grammatical errors and/or spelling errors if you find any. i was trying to finish everything in time and i panicked so. ^^;
> 
> but enjoy.

To Oh Sehun, the woman's tricoloured dress looks horrendous, something that not even the Madam would wear. Or really should anyone wear. The bright yellow didn’t go with the light pink and that horrible burgundy. The bodice looks too tight and almost like the woman can't really breathe, if how plump and pasty her skin colour is anything to go by. She wears her hair like every other woman, in a high bun with whips of dark hair around her face in some form of attractive manner. 

Sehun doesn't think she's attractive. 

Not at all. 

Instead, he much rather look at paintings of women's breasts (both are rather repulsing) instead of looking at this woman who is now looking at Sehun. 

He feels like a caged animal under her gaze which causes a long shudder to run down his spine. But instead of running away like his mind is telling him too, he pastes on a smile and lets the woman approach him. 

Her smile makes her seem more or less like she's having a hard time breathing to which she's breathless when she stands in front of him. 

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes," she says, her eyes racking up and down Sehun's form. "I've never seen a man look so… beautiful." 

Sehun wants to retort. He wants to say something horrible to the woman but he can't. He doesn't want to lose the only job he has. He has rent to pay and food to eat. So he smiles back at the woman and offers her the tray to her eye level, making sure the sparkling drinks capture her attention. 

"Would you like something to drink?" He asks in a faux happy voice. Blinking a couple of times, he tries to make his eyes seem smaller than they already are, fully knowing that people of her status strongly dislike people of his status. 

The woman let's her smile grow larger as she puffs up her chest and _ wow, can she actually breathe? _

"Can I have you?" She asks and Sehun wants to gag. 

"I heard the _ Maralin _ is fantastic," he says fully ignoring the jab he knew he was going to get. "There's been quite a few people who have told me to recommend the drink to ladies such as yourself." 

The woman laughs, hiding her mouth behind her hand in someway to look dainty and gentle but the look only causes her to look a little delusional and older than she really is. Her eyes curl into crescent moons before she opens them wide for Sehun to see the ill intent in those ugly brown eyes. 

"You didn't answer my question," she says raising a brow. 

Sehun sighs mentally. "You did not answer mine. The drinks available are on the tray and I, dear ma'am, am not on the tray. I apologize for any inconvenience this might be." 

Annoyance begins to grow on the woman's face as she drops her hand to show the scowl on her face. She crosses her arms over her chest and juts her bottom lip out like a five year old pouting for food. She blinks a couple of times and tries to bat her eyelashes again but Sehun only shakes his head mentally and stands as still as he can. Maybe if he became a doll, the woman would leave and he’ll be able to continue his sift in peace. 

It doesn’t take long for the woman to leave, a massive pout on her lips and the look of death in her eyes. She glares at Sehun all the back to her party, words Sehun is glad he can’t hear fall from her lips. 

He continues to work. 

The party the King and Queen are hosting is one of the more lavish affairs of the royal court he has seen. With little lights strung in all corners of the ball and vases filled with nothing but summer flowers, the outdoor ballroom looks like something he can only dream of. Women and men are dressed in their finest pieces (maybe not that woman in the ugly dress. If anything, Sehun thinks that maybe she should get some kind of refund or compensation for how hideous the thing is). Colors of red and gold line the rich’s clothes, some more gold than others to showcase their worth to the crown. 

But while the nobles and the guests of the kingdom are adorned in their golds and reds, the king and queen of the kingdom are in black and purple, the colours of the royal court. The king stands tall, his red hair parted just a little in the middle. He smiles to his wife, his eyes crinkling as she pats down her massive purple ball gown. Beads and sequins adorned the side of the bodice, to show off her torso. The satin part of her dress is only half of the piece, a gentle curve of fabric ending right as one could see another type of fabric. 

She looks beautiful and is the only one that Sehun believes to actually look her part. 

But he supposes that she must as this is her home and she needs to show off just a little. 

Sehun takes his attention away from the royal couple and continues to do his job, if the glares coming towards his back is anything to go by. He must have been staring for too long and he’s almost positive that if he turns around, head boy Taekwoon is going to be giving him narrowed eyes… which might be something he doesn’t want. Taekwoon is already scary when he’s just standing around, but him giving a eyes to someone? Sehun shudders at the thought. 

He pastes on his best smile and goes from small crowd to small crowd. The people of the party only get louder and louder, some of the looking at Sehun like he’s a piece of meat and others not giving him the time of day. It makes his job a little bit easier, not getting involved with the crowd or at least trying not to get involved with the crowd but the looks he’s getting from a certain bright eye male is causing all sorts of signals to go off in his mind. 

His right forearm begins to tingle but that could mean anything to him. He pushes the thought away and continues on with his job. He has more important things to worry about other than the slight burning of his arm. 

He tries to avoid the looks coming from Mister Creepy in the corner but with every talk he has with another patron of the party, he can feel the man getting a little restless and wanting to come towards him. Sehun just wants to really leave this party, the loudness of the nobles continuing to grow. 

At the last moment, Sehun is able to dodge the looks the man is giving him by slipping into the back where Taekwoon is standing with his arms crossed over his chest. He looks upset but not at Sehun (which is honestly a first), early sighing when Sehun looks him over. 

“Is everything okay?” Sehun asks which only causes Taekwoon to sigh. 

“We have gotten a complaint,” he says glancing at Sehun before looking back out to the crowd. “Some disgruntled woman wearing the ugliest dress I have ever seen is telling us that you refused to give her the correct drink.” 

Sehun rolls his eyes. “Please don’t believe her,” he says. “She was trying to eat me.” 

“Eat you?” 

“Yeah. You know how there are certain older women who like to eat young boys? She had this look in her eyes and it honestly was disgusting.” Sehun waves his hands around, the best that he can with a tray in his hands as he tells Taekwoon the story of the woman in the ugly dress. He might have exaggerated a little bit but if it was to get the woman away from him, he would gladly do it again. Maybe this time, he can tell Jihyo and she would _ actually _ listen to him. 

“I have Baekho and Minki keeping an eye on her,” Taekwoon says after his story. “I’m sure she won’t be giving you too much trouble anymore.” 

Sehun winces. “You’re sending in Minki?” 

Taekwoon only smiles at Sehun’s question. “His majesty should be stopping the party here in a moment for an announcement and after that the party should be done. He’s making us stop the drinks when he begins his speech but he would like for all of his to listen and not continue to work. Something about the announcement being highly important?” 

Sehun raises a brow at this. He glances over to the king and queen, watching as the two of them whisper to each other, their eyes glancing out to the crowd before going back to each other. They talk in hushed whispers reminding Sehun of a few years ago before they had gotten married and became one of the most powerful couples in the world. 

Queen Jihyo was already super powerful within the nobel families, having succeeded her father when he had passed. She was the only Head of House that was female and boy did she run her family with a kind yet iron fist. She’s famous for completely destroying her father’s cabinet and creating a new one with all women, all eight women being strong in their positions. Jihyo and her women were able to raise the wealth rankings of the Park family in just a few years and it was enough to catch Crown Prince Daniel’s eyes. 

Sehun knows too much of the story as he _ lived _ through the story being one of Jihyo’s and Nayeon’s proclaimed children. He supposed when he was a little bit younger it was odd being claimed as a child to someone younger than he was but Jihyo has never cared for things like that. She considered him to be family and to her, family are the people you never leave behind. 

Jihyo looks up, catching Sehun’s eyes and smiles softly. Her eyes speaks a thousand things, only two of them make any sense to him. He sees that there’s something urgent in her eyes, something she can’t speak out loud but that’s beginning to get hidden by the sheer want to speak to Sehun when this party is over. 

_ Please _, she mouths as quickly as she can, not wanting to get anyone’s attention towards the two of them. Daniel is the only one who notices and nods to him, warning that it is important and that it’s alright for Sehun to know. 

_ Garden, _ Sehun mouths back before looking away and waiting at the side with Taekwoon and the other servers for the night. 

Much like the older server had said earlier, Daniel calls for the party to halt causing the music and drunken laughter to quiet down. He stands at the top of the staircase that lead inside of the palace with his hands in the air, lowering them slowly as he gains everyone’s attention. 

“I have some news,” Daniel begins, “and people to introduce. They are not of our Seven Kingdoms of Sin but come from a Kingdom far beyond our walls.” 

The temperature drops causing Sehun to shudder. It air and this situation feel odd to him, like there’s more to the story than Daniel is letting on but he supposes that maybe this is what Jihyo and him want to talk about. 

“I would like to formally introduce Do Kyungsoo to you all,” Daniel continues, motioning to people who stand behind him. Sehun freezes for a second wondering where the three people standing behind the king and queen came from. He must not have been the only one because there are shocked gasps when a young man steps forward. 

He looks to be younger than Sehun with wide gold eyes and honey coloured hair. He’s shorter than Daniel when the king is slouching. Theman is dressed in a long mud colored tunic that reaches his shins. The tunic is curved in the front showing black pants wounded with gold string on his shins and flat shoes. Sehun stares at the beast looking symbol on the man’s right breast, blinking a couple times because he _ knows _ that symbol, he just doesn’t remember from where. 

“The next, is Kim Junmyeon,” Daniel says. 

Sehun’s eyes move over to the next person standing next to Kyungsoo, his eyes gazing into a set of the bluest eyes he’s ever seen. He felt like he’s looking at the edge of a bridge and staring out into the open water. He wears dark blue pants tucked into tall boots and asymmetrical teal top. The top looks like it’s woven from the finest silk, with little corals (are those _ corals _ in the man’s top?). Sehun gazes at the waterdrop on the man’s clothes, staring at the design because this too looks familiar to him. 

“And finally Lee Hoseok,” Daniel says with a smile. 

Sehun stops listening and doesn’t dare to look this man up and down. The only thing that he can see is the beautiful swirling triangle symbol and this time he knows what it means. His entire body stiffens at the sight of the symbol before looking away, his mind racing a mile a minute. Suddenly those dark eyes watching are familiar to him.

The burning in his arm begins again and this time Sehun is _ sure _ that he knows who they are and what they want. He doesn’t have to stand here and listen to the spiel that they will give the crowd. He already knows. 

Covering his forearm, he tries not to wince at the intensity of the burn against his skin. It only grows hotter and hotter with each passing second and he’s aware that until the burning stops, there’s no way to feel relief. So he bombards himself with questions of why they are here and if they’ve taken enough from him? Because really what more do they want with him? All he wants to do his mourn his beloved and move on with his life. Is that really too much to ask? 

He wants to leave the party with the king and queen’s new guests. While they might be fine with these three men, Sehun is not. He needs to leave before the memories he’s been trying to grasp become something akin to dark and sinister. But all he can picture is a bright smile and dark feline eyes. Sehun forces his eyes shut. 

A clap sounds in the room taking Sehun out of his thoughts harshly. He swallows and turns on his heel, giving his tray to Taekwoon with a quiet mutter that he doesn’t feel well. Taekwoon takes a moment to look at Sehun before letting him go for the night. He feels eyes boring into his back but he doesn’t dare to turn around. He doesn’t need to see Jihyo watching him leave or the eyes of the man with _ that _ symbol. 

The night is breezy and dark. There’s not a single star in the sky which slightly unnerves him a little. It’s dark enough for him to get jumped but with the royal party happening inside, most people are trying to look inside the palace walls or having a party of their own. 

He passes the garden when he hears footsteps following him, the tell tale sign of heels clicking behind him. He closes his eyes and sighs, knowing who was following him and why. He stops walking. 

“You should go back to the party, your majesty,” he whispers. 

“You know how much I hate you calling me that,” Jihyo chastises. “You’re allowed to call me by my name.” 

Sehun waves his hand around. “Not out here.”

“You were supposed to wait. We were goin-”

“Not here, Ji, please.” Sehun’s voice cracks at the end. He swallows the lump in his throat. “Maybe later but not now.”

Sehun finally turns to look at his oldest friend. She stands with her hands folded in front of her and her eyes towards the ground. She takes in a deep breath before looking up and at Sehun, her dark eyes looking sad. She smiles at him and he knows that she wants to reach out but she keeps her hands on her dress. 

“We couldn’t just turn them away,” she whispers. “While we gave them their human names, they’r-” 

“I know,” is all he says before turning around and walking away. He ignored the hurt look on her face and it really did hurt to see it but right now, he can’t. 

This night was going alright, he was able to move on a little bit and forget his sorrow for just a moment but of course fate always has other plans. He knows why they’re here and he knows why they’re looking for him, he just doesn’t want to go with them. He doesn’t want anything to do with them, not after everything they’ve done. 

A flare of anger surges through his body before it cools. He can’t lose himself here. He needs to be calm and collected. 

The rest of the walk home is uneventful for him. His lone hut in the outskirts of the city looks almost abandoned with the dilapidated roof and rotting wood holding the hut together. It’s a mess but honestly, Sehun wouldn’t change it for the world. It’s the one place that he could feel at peace with everything that has happened. 

Very carefully, he enters his home and sighs, looking around the single room. The bed is shoved into one of the sides where it’s next to a smaller dresser filled with his clothing. In the center of the room is a massive fire pit with a cauldron in the middle. A low table sits a little ways from the cauldron where tree stumps are used as chairs. Dried herbs and flowers hang from the ceiling where they’re easily accessible to for him to make teas and other remedies he might need. But his most prized possession stands proudly near his bed. 

Almost as tall as he is, the bookshelf that stands there is made completely of white marble. The marble is completely clean enough for him to see the dark veins from where he’s standing. The shelves host hundreds of books, filled with stories from all over ranging from written words about heroes saving cities to oral stories finally written down speaking of places far away. 

But his most prized book is the one that speaks about the Five Worlds and the gods that reside in the Five Worlds. 

The book speaks on how the worlds used to know of each other’s existence until the old gods were put to sleep, the new gods, fearing for their power. The more he read about the Five Worlds, the more everything began to make a little bit of sense. So he traveled around when he met _ him _ and off they went collecting stories of the Five Worlds and compiling them into a single tome only in Sehun’s possession. 

As he traveled with his companion, he began to see the traces of the old gods and saying quiet prayers to them, thanking them for everything they had created. He knew it was hearsay but he couldn’t help but feel that thanking the old gods _ and _the new gods is the right thing to do. 

So he continued to do just that. All up until he couldn’t anymore. 

Sehun looks away from his bookshelf and undresses himself quickly. He has things to pack, he’s decided. He can’t stay here for much longer. It’s sad but he knows that Jihyo and Daniel will understand. She did when he first left and he knows that she’ll understand again. 

Throwing on a something quick, he roams around his home, getting the things that he’ll need for his journey to who knows where. Maybe, he’ll be able to find one of the stray ports or something where he can hide. 

But that would only prolong the problem, wouldn’t it, Sehun? 

Sehun sighs and peers out the lone window. It’s pitch black outside making it better to leave in the morning. He’s just going to have to wait. 

Before going to bed, he stares at his book, the leather begging to be touched, only he stops himself from doing so. It would mean more stories to read and sleeping in later than he would like. It’s hard, though, to tear himself away from the tome, and going to bed. It’s hard to force his eyes closed and not feel the presence of the book and knowing that three people (are they really people?) have come looking for him and possibly the book he has. 

Sehun finally sleeps. 

Sehun wakes to the sound of someone pounding on his door. There’s light filtering though the window but both the sound and the light cause him to bury himself into his sheets and ignore everything around him. The knocking, though, becomes louder and louder, enough for Sehun to sigh, fling his sheets, and swing open the door, glaring at the dark eyes smiling at him. It’s too early for this. 

Leaving the door open, he grumbles back to bed where he sits on the creaky mattress and watches the two hooded figures (where did the second person comes from but they do come together when they need to) enter. Both of them wear deep purple robes with a barely noticeable meander pattern at the bottom. Sehun can’t help the sigh and the yawn that passes through his lips. 

“What are you two doing here without your guards? Jeongin and the others are going to have a fit if they can’t find you.” he says after blinking a couple of times, ignoring the way that Jihyo lowers her hood and places her hands on her hips. 

“Stopping you,” she says. “I know what you’re planning.” 

“I figured,” Sehun says. He looks to the Daniel who also lowered his hood. He gives the other a sheepish smile and shrugs his shoulders as if to say, you know how she is. “But I’m still going to go.” 

“Not if I put a ban to make sure you don’t leave the city.” 

“I live outside the walls.” 

“I can put Nayeon and the others to watch you.” 

“I can easily evade them. They’re nothing like the pirates of Carmont Cove.” 

Jihyo huffs, crossing her arms underneath her robes. “I can’t stand you.” 

“And yet here you stand trying to stop me from leaving. Something doesn’t add up here, Park Jihyo.” 

Jihyo pouts and Daniel laughs. “Well nothing has changed between the two of you. Are you sure that I’m needed here, Hyo?” 

The queen throws her husband a dirty look causing him to sigh and join Sehun on sitting on his bed. Sehun sighs and picks up the hem of the robe, throwing Daniel a dirty look. 

“Youngjo will throw a fit if you think about diriting his robes,” he says. “And even though I’m not going to be there, you best believe that I want to save you an earful.” 

Daniel snorts. “Youngjo will be fine a little dirt.” 

“Do you actually believe that?”

Daniel doesn’t say anything forcing a smug smile on Sehun’s face. 

He turns his attention away from the king to watch as Jihyo runs her fingers over the knapsack that he’s had for years. There’s that fond look on her face again, the one that tells Sehun that she’s deep in her memories of when they were younger. She had made him that bag claiming that Sehun was going to see the world and be able to tell the world about the stories in his head. He was going to gather every bit of knowledge and every story he could find and that she would be right there with him. 

But it’s been a long time since those days. 

“How can you be certain they’re looking for you?” Jihyo whispers. “They’re looking for someone call the Child of Four, someone who they can take up to the godsrealm and help save it.” 

“You don’t think I could save them?” Sehun asks raising a brow. He rubs his right hand against his forearm, surprised that his hidden ink hasn’t burned. 

Jihyo huffs and looks at Sehun. There are tears in her eyes and the quiet hope that he isn’t going to leave her. Not again. “They’re gods, Sehun. You know firsthand that anyone who deals with the gods always suffers. That’s how it’s always been.” 

“All the more to leave,” Sehun says. 

“But you’re not who they’re looking for!” Jihyo says. “You’re no-” 

“I am the Child of Four,” Sehun whispers. “I have been the Child of Four since I left here.” 

Jihyo takes a couple of steps back like she’s been shocked. Beside him Daniel only touches his right forearm and pulls the sleeve Jihyo staring at the mark on his forearm. The mark of the Child of Four is a square tattoo separated into four different sections. The first section at the top has zigzags going up and down as if to mimic waves. The second section has little triangles forming a much larger one, almost like a mountain. The third section was swirls all around, almost like they were birds flying high in the sky, and the final section looked like black flames, waiting to devour the rest of the tattoo. 

“But you never had the mark.” 

Sehun smiles bitterly and flops onto his bed. He stares at his book sitting on the shelf and sighs. “It comes when it pleases,” he says. “It came when it felt like it needed to come and now here we are.” 

Silence overtakes the three of them and Sehun wants to laugh. He wants to laugh at the bitterness and strangeness of it all. Lifting his arm, he stares at the tattoo, unsure of what to think of it anymore. It’s been there for such a long time that it’s become second nature to ignore it and not to think of what it meant because like the Child of Four mark meant peace and life, to Sehun, it meant destruction and death. 

“What is the Child of Four?” Daniel asks his voice quiet. “They wanted to speak to our crowd about the Child but never did they mention what the Child of Four is needed for.” 

Sehun hums. He knows they wouldn’t have said anything. The prophecy belonging to the Child of Four is so deeply hidden that he knows that the high priests of the human gods, know snippets of it. But because of Sehun’s travels to faraway lands, he’s heard enough, more than enough to put together the story. 

And a story is what he’s good at. 

“They say that long ago,” Sehun stares, closing his eyes and picturing the story in his mind, “right before the old gods were put to sleep, four of the most powerful gods went to the only humans on Deokhwa. They were the Kraken of the south who represented the human emotion of curiosity, the Griffin of the east who represented the human emotion of life, the Dragon of the north who represented fear, and the Unicorn of the west who represented death. They spoke with the king and queen of the Kingdom of Arrilyn and told them about what was happening within the continent. They asked and pleaded with the king to give them hope. He did.” 

In his mind's eye, Sehun see the old animal gods pleading with humans. He can see the disdain on their faces for bowing their heads to the humans but they did so anyways. He sees the kind smile of the old king, placing gentle hands on their faces and promising that he will do everything in his power to ensure that they will wake when they are needed. 

“Pleased, they gifted the royal family of Arrilyn with powers to seek out one animal and find help with them. They also warned them that when a child who doesn’t call out to any animal, it will be time for the gods to wake for the balance of the Five Worlds is tipping.”

Sehun snaps open his eyes and reaches for the ceiling. He doesn’t know what he wishes for, only for him to touch the sky and maybe get away far from this place as he can.

“But Arrilyn was destroyed,” Jihyo says, her voice a little closer than before. 

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean that the  _ entire  _ royal family stayed while their kingdom was slaughtered. The king and queen stayed with their people, both of them beheaded for their “crimes” against the gods of Deokhwa when the only thing they did was promise the old gods to wake them when they needed. With the supposed death of the royal line of Arrilyn, the humans of Deokhwa were enslaved for many years.” 

“Until the Revolt of Ages,” Jihyo whispered. 

“Correct.” 

“But then, what does the Child of Four have to do with the Kingdom of Arrilyn and the old animal gods?” Daniel asks. 

Something in the room shifts, like another presence making itself known. Sehun drops his hand and forces himself to sit up, his eyes narrowed at the sudden figure in the room. 

The first thing he sees is the same ocean blue eyes from the night before. The man wears long black pants and a sleeveless top that’s tied at his sides. His hands are gripping a massive bicep of a man Sehun doesn’t recognize but once again he recognizes the symbol tattooed on his forearm. He doesn’t dare look into the man’s eyes.

“Get out,” Sehun hisses.

“Well that’s not anyway to talk to us,” the blue eyed man says with a smile.

“I don’t care get out.”

“Such hostility,” says the other man. “I wonder what you did to him.”

“I said get out,” Sehun yells. “You’re not welcomed within my walls.”

The bicep man crosses his arms over his chest. “Well I’m sorry to say that we don’t care.”

Sehun laughs but it comes out bitter and full of nothing but hate for the gods in front of him. Finally he looks into the bicep man’s eyes, a swirling pool of black and silver. The god is  _ massive,  _ his entire body three times Sehun’s both in height and in width. His face is angular and chiseled like he’s a sculpture from one of the best artists. He wears a long black pants that cuff above his ankles and a long tunic with massive slits on the sides. The edge of the tunic looks to be embroidered with silver thread that seems to be made of stars as it twinkles every time the man moves. His flats are the same way, black and silver twinkling stars.

And by everything that is holy, looking at this man  _ hurts _ Sehun’s entire soul. He glares at the man, not caring if he angers the god.

“I know you don’t,” Sehun hisses. “You never have and you never will.”

“Sehun!” Jihyo yelps. “Please.”

Daniel grabs Sehun’s hand and squeezes, almost like he’s trying to anchor Sehun into the present and not the past. As much as he hates it, he’s thankful for his friend being there and trying to ground him. He doesn’t know what kind of mess he would get into. Probably nothing good but for Sehun, they deserve it.

“He is who we’re looking for,” says another voice and steps out from behind the massive man.

The gold eyed man looks to be the tiniest in between the three of them. His eyes are wide and doe shaped and thick lips are set into a line. Dark hair falls over pale skin. He crosses his arms over his chest, hiding the beast same symbol on his clothes. He wears baggy brown pants that are cuffed at the bottom and looking to be five sizes too big for his body. The shirt he wears is skin tight to his skin and sleeveless. The collar comes to his neck but is hidden by a circular shawl of yellows and browns.

“Oh? How can you tell, Soo?” says the massive god. Sehun wracks his brain for a name but he comes out short. He doesn’t want to think of these gods any longer.

_ Soo? _

Oh.

Kyungsoo snorts and points Sehun’s forearm. “He bares the mark.”

Black eyes train themselves onto Sehun’s arm and smiles widely. “Well I be damned. Hannie was right.”

“Jeonghan is always right,” says the blue eyed god. “But you’re too busy trying to shove your tongue down Changkyun’s and Seonghwa’s throat that you never notice.”

The dark eyed god actually flushes. “Shut up.”

“The Child of Four,” Kyungsoo says finally answering Daniel’s question. Kyungsoo begins rocking on his heels and looking into Sehun’s eyes like he’s looking for the correct answers. “Is the one to wake the old animal gods and bring peace back to the Five Worlds and to Deokhwa.”

“I will do no such thing,” Sehun spats causing Daniel to squeeze his hand a little harder than before.

“But you will,” Kyungsoo says, his voice somber. “It’s been foretold, both by my fates and the fates that you worship. You will bring back the Four Primal gods who will wake the rest. It’s been written as the fate of the Arrilyn Kingdom since the beginning of time.”

Sehun can’t say anything to that because he  _ knows. _ He’s been told this a thousand times and every time he hears it, his gut screams at him. He looks away.

“I don’t get it,” Jihyo says, taking no glances towards the gods in the middle of the room. She looks to Sehun, her eyes pleading with his to understand this situation.

He sighs. “When we were travelling,” Sehun says quietly. “We found this place deep within the woods. It looked to have been an ancient temple with cracked marble and everything.” He draws a shuddering breath as the memory plays out. “We explored and explored, only fall into one of the crevices. When we woke, we were in a place we had never seen before because everything was green and brown. It was like we had fallen into another world.”

Someone hums to Sehun’s story.

“The people who came to find us,” he continues like no one interrupted him, “were tall and pale. They dressed funny and we couldn’t understand them for the longest time but we learned their language and were able to speak with them. For three years we spent time with a race of elves and for three years we were in another world.”

Sehun didn’t dare to look at Jihyo and Daniel, not wanting to see the expressions they wore. They would no doubt tell him that he was for coming up with such a thing. He barely glances at the gods, but the three of them only nod like they understood what was going on.

“So you’re one of the humans that made their way into the Lavindoria, the blue eyed man says with a raised brow. “You and your companion threw Taeyeon and Sooyoung in a whirlwind and it was a mess. They continued to blame us for your mistake.”

Sehun rolled his eyes. “It was there with the elves that my tattoo showed up,” he says like no one had spoken. The blue eyed god, who Sehun still can’t remember his name, crossed his arms over his chest and puffed out his cheeks. He didn’t like to be ignored, it seems. “I had no idea what it was but the elves that we were told us the story of the Child of Four. They told us all that they could and suddenly I was worshiped like a god.”

He closes his mouth and follows his memory back into the day when he first woke up in a strange new place. He remembers seeing opaque eyes and a child’s giggle before she rushed off to the side and talking in a rapid fire language. Her hair was tied in twin plaits, and always tied in twin plaits. She took a liking to Sehun and his companion, and when they left, she wouldn’t stop crying. He wonders how she’s doing now.

“You want to go back,” the buff dark eyed man says. “To Lavindoria. You met someone.”

Sehun slides his eyes before rolling them again. “I met a lot of people in different places.”

The god smiles, wide and toothy. “And he talks to me!” he says. “But now that we have explained things, you must come with us.”

“I will not.”

“But you must.”

“Sehun,” Jihyo starts, her eyes wide. “You went into another world?”

He looks to his oldest friend and smiles gently. “Yes,” he says. “I went into one of the Five Worlds.”

“But they’re stories.”

“All stories have some truth in them.”

Jihyo looks to her hands. “Then maybe you should go with them.”

Sehun blinks a couple of times, trying to process the words that passed through Jihyo’s mouth. He reads her face for any indication that he heard her wrong but the more she looks at her hands and the more that Daniel squeezes his, he knows that he heard right.

Betrayal settles under his skin. His body tenses and his heart pounds in his chest. He feels physically sick looking at Jihyo so he turns away, calming himself. How dare she say that he should go with them! She’s well aware of how he feels about their gods. He wants nothing to do with them and for all that is holy, let them suffer for everything they have done.

“Go with them,” Jihyo says again, this time looking up. There’s sadness in her eyes as she fully understands the weight of her words. “Because if you what you just told me is true and the balance of the scales is off, a lot more people can and will die. Not just Minho but it would be me and Daniel and that person you met in another world.” Her eyes widen at the words falling out of her mouth like she can’t believe what she’s saying. “Sehun, please. At least go with them and listen.”

“She’s right,” Daniel says from next to him. “We don’t want more people to die. We don’t want any more situations of what happened to Minho.”

Sehun physically flinches at the name, his body almost curling into itself. Instead of his heart pounding in his chest, it begins to break with cold ice running through his veins. Tears form in his eyes but he brushes them away. He forces his body not to listen to the sadness it’s producing.

He puts on a fake smile as his head clears a little of the anger.

Jihyo was right and he hates that fact. He hates how her words make sense and yes, Sehun should go and listen to what the gods have to say. Maybe then he can decide if he wants to be a selfish bastard and let the Five Worlds fall into ruin.

He thinks of the little girl’s smile. Of Lisa’s smile and her take on the world. She was only seven years old when they let and has to be easily ten now. What would happen to her world if she didn’t go and listen to what the gods had to say and do what the gods would ask of him?

He takes in a deep breath and look up at the gods in the room, his body sagging with defeat. His shoulders slump and his chin drops to his chest. He swallows. “Fine,” he whispers, his voice thick. “Fine I’ll go.”

“Wonderful!” says one of the gods, maybe the dark eyed one. He’s not sure. “We shall leave in a couple of minutes. You might want to say goodbye to your friends and get changed then.”

“Let’s leave them,” Kyungsoo says quietly.

“But So-“

“Let’s go Hoseok.”

Sehun doesn’t look up at the sound of Hoseok grumbling followed by the door opening and closing. He’s left in his rundown hut with the king and queen of his kingdom. Daniel is the first to stand from the bed, letting go of Sehun’s hands. Sehun follows his movements to his dresser and shuffles through it. Jihyo follows him a couple of moments later.

“Maybe this one,” Jihyo comments quietly. “This might be good for a long journey.”

“But this one?” Daniel says.

“This one will remind him of us.”

Sehun stands from his bed and lets the two of them fuss over his clothing. He won’t tell them to stop, fully knowing that this is their way to cope. A small chuckle passes through his mouth as he watches them for a quiet moment. Jihyo used to love dressing Sehun in the best clothes that she could find. She always told him that she would be the one dressing him for all of his adventures and she’s kept her word. When he and Minho left for their ten year trip, she dressed with nothing but a bright smile on her face and tears in her eyes.

His heart breaks a little.

Turning away from the two of them, Sehun's gaze lands on his book, the leather binding begging to be touch. He walks towards it, dragging his fingers along the front cover and smiling softly at the words embroidered on the front.  _ The Stories from the Five Worlds. A series of short stories told by the various people in the Five Worlds and written down by Oh Sehun.  _ Minho had stitched that on for him, claiming that all stories needed a title.

“We’re done,” Jihyo clears her throat. “Come.”

Sehun tears his eyes off his book and back around to the two standing beside his bed. He glances at the purple and black clothing before motioning for them to give him a moment of peace. Jihyo pats his cheek before walking out the door with Daniel following him.

Very carefully, he dresses himself, taking each article of clothing with care. These are the clothes his loved ones picked out for him, of course everything is going to be put on correctly. He slides into his calf length trousers first before putting on a thin shirt with a neck slit ending just below his collarbone. Over the shirt, he places light chainmail that falls just below his hips and a deep purple over shirt that’s a few inches shorter than the chainmail. He puts on a leather tunic, smiling as he buckles the belts around his waist. Finally, he slips on his boots, folding them over a couple of times just so they’re below the knee.

He takes a couple of moments to fully take in all that he put on, laughing to himself at the sheer insanity of how much he needed to put on. But Jihyo and Daniel dressed him. Of course they’re going to want to make sure nothing happens to him.

Folding his sleeping clothes, he places them on the bed and moves to where his bag stays on the table. Since he had pack the night before, there’s nothing left for him to do but to turn around and face the single room. He takes in the sight of the place, fully aware that this is the last time that he’ll see it like this. Now that he’s going to be gone, both Daniel and Jihyo will take it upon themselves to fix Sehun’s shed and give him a proper place to be.

His eyes land on the bookshelf before landing on his book. He doesn’t want to take it with him but it might deem itself necessary to. He hesitates for a moment before shaking his head. If he doesn’t make it back, then the people of this world need to know about the other four. He’ll leave it Jihyo and Daniel. They’ll know what to do with it.

Turning his back on his home, Sehun walks to the front door and doesn’t look back.


	2. Chapter 2

Junmyeon. 

The blue eyed gods’ name is Junmyeon. 

Sehun remembered it when they first entered the forest and the god was throwing sideway glances at him. It was almost like he didn’t know what to expect coming from Sehun as the storyteller would only grumble passed them and would throw angry glances.

Racking his brain, Sehun recalls who he’s standing with.

Hoseok or Wonho, the god of fate and prophecies.

Kyungsoo or D.O, the god of earth.

Junmyeon or Suho, the god of freshwater.

Three of the most powerful human gods stand before him, trekking through one of the forbidden forests. They claimed that one of the entrances to the godsrealm would be through one of the forgotten temples to which Sehun knew. He and Minho travelled into some of the forbidden forests, trying to figure out why everyone would stay clear of them and really, it wasn’t until they continued to fall into different worlds that everything made sense.

Sehun feels a smile on his face.

Ah the adventures Minho and he used to take, how wonderful they would be. They’d used to sit under the stars in Carltin as watch as they passed, streaking across the sky. Hoards of animals would sit by them, all attention focusing on the beautiful stars that would pass.

There’s a sting in his heart.

It hurts talking or thinking about Minho but it is what is. He tries to mask the pain but most of the time, it’s like taking a dagger to his heart and slamming it inside. Sometimes the knife would twist and other times it would just stay there, mental hands ripping it out of his body. He used to laugh at the people who said that losing a loved one is hard, but he finally understands. He finally gets why people are driven mad with grief and how people are so cynical.

He gets it and he hates it.

“Who is Minho?” Junmyeon asks, taking Sehun’s attention away from his thoughts.

Sehun flinches before collecting himself. As much as he wants to curl into himself, he can’t. He can’t show these gods his weakness because they will use it against him. He knows they will. So instead, he throws a dirty glare towards the water god.

“No one you should concern yourself with,” he snaps.

“It sounds like we should.”

“He trusted you and you turned his back on him. I get that he’s one out of the millions of us but he trusted you and I will always resent you for his death. All of you.”

Sehun stomps off not wanting to listen or really be near the gods anymore. Their presence is too much for him to be around and neither Jihyo nor Daniel is there to stop him. They’re far behind him, most likely planning on how to change Sehun’s hut into a livable place for him when he comes back, if he comes back. He shakes his head. He can’t think like that. It’s not good for him.

He almost falters in his steps as he thinks of Daniel and Jihyo, their faces smiling but the smile never reaching their eyes. Instead, he tries to think of them happy and smiling, a smile that does reach their eyes. 

The path in the forest grows thicker in trees and more in wildlife. The sounds of animals all around are calming to him for multiple reasons. First because they remind him of a simpler time, one that wasn’t filled with stupid prophecies and dumb gods. Second because it also reminded him of home and the times he would play with Jihyo and Nayeon, both of them giggling as they hid in the trees or in logs.

A few more steps and Sehun almost misses the reclaimed temple. Massive vines twist and turn, covering the aging stone. Pillars are broken and cracked, most if not all of them are on the ground with their cracks sprouting plants and new homes for animals. The once beautiful tile is cracked and missing pieces that Sehun is sure took many years to paint and perfect.

As the gods are in a rush, he can’t take the time to appreciate the work that is the temple, too busy trying to keep up with the others. (Since when did he get behind? He’s sure that he was in front of them…) But from a quick glance, he sees that it’s a water temple, most likely belong to Suho as that is the current water god present.

Suho leads the group to the center of the temple, the roof long gone from the place, chunks of white marble littering the way. In the middle of what Sehun is sure to have been a massive prayer room is a round device that he’s only seen once or twice. Ancient runes are carved into the stone, creating a long forgotten prayer from Sehun’s mind. It’s been too long since he’s uttered any form of prayer to these gods. 

“Do you remember how to do this?” Hoseok questions, placing his hands on his hips. “We used mine last time and it took me forever to remember.”

Junmyeon snorts. “I’m not you,” he says.

“Well you don’t have to be all prissy,” Hoseok mumbles.

“Will you just shut up?” Kyungsoo hisses. “I’m so done of you. I don’t know how Changkyun and Seonghwa can tolerate you.”

Sehun sees a flash of a smile. “Through love.”

“Maybe through gagging,” Junmyeon says. “Or pity. Both of them are ones to take pity on you.”

Hoseok lets out a loud whine that neither Junmyeon nor Kyungsoo pay attention too. Instead, they both look to the portal, Kyungsoo motioning for Junmyeon to do his thing. With a sigh, Junmyeon steps in front of the portal and taps on a couple of stones. It whirls to life, the center flashing a bright blue. Hoseok turns around to Sehun and grins, all of his teeth on display.

Sehun blinks a couple of times as he feels his face flushing. While yes, he hates the human gods, that doesn't mean his mind doesn't find the asshole attractive. Dear gods, maybe he needs to slam his face into the wall or something, then he'll stop thinking nonsense things like these. 

“Welcome to the godsrealm,” the god of Fate says. “I hope you like it here.”

Sehun scoffs and follows the silent Kyungsoo.

It’s always felt odd going through a portal. Like his entire body is thrown around and torn into pieces in just a few short seconds. His mind is mush and dear gods, he wants to puke but he holds everything in and tries to take in his surroundings.

The first word that comes into mind is beautiful. The place they’re in is beautiful.

The same white marble that was at Suho’s temple encompasses the entire place in a gorgeous crystal hue. Potted plants of shrubs and berries line the walkways while the sound of trickling water fills his ears. A couple of people stand at the bottom of the stairs leading down, most of them smiling at the gods, and throwing Sehun confused looks. He tries to smile at them.

“My lords,” a woman says stepping forward. She keeps her eyes to the ground, patting her long blue dress before dropping into a curtsey. “The others are waiting for you in the throne room.”

“Thank you Jieun,” Junmyeon says his voice soft. “We’ll head there right away.”

Jieun nods her head and shoots a gaze towards Sehun. “Shall I take your guest into the guest chambers?”

“Not just yet,” Kyungsoo mumbles. “He’ll need to come with us to the throne room.”

“Of course.”

He garners looks from the priests and priestess of the temples as they walk down the steps of Jumyeon’s temple and into a hallway. It’s not an odd feeling for him as he’d always get looks when he first travelled to a new place and it didn’t bother him. It’s the whispers that he can’t stand. People would look at him and whisper behind their hands, thinking that they’re hot shit mumbling some kind of insult.

And they were insults, what the people would say to each other. He’s no stranger to the soft giggles that would come out of the temple’s staff mouth, being far too used to little things like that. Instead of clowning and calling them out, he smiles sweetly at all of them before giving the dirtiest glare that he can muster. Some people squeaked and looked away while others just glared right back at him. He holds in a scoff.

He tries to get his mind looking around and taking in the sight of the temple. It seems to him that all the major gods of the human race live in one massive temple. Junmyeon's area is crystal like and has lots of little waterfalls and places where people could sit and enjoy the water. 

But the area changed from soft blues to blazing reds and oranges. The goddess of fire's domain, Yuju. 

There were more women in this area than Junmyeon handful of them. They seemed to be everywhere dressed in various length red dresses. All of their eyes flicker like dancing flames when they smiled at the gods and whispered quietly to each other about Sehun. There were a couple, however, that smile kindly at Sehun nodding their head and continuing on their way. 

They made their way through a couple more domains, the beautiful leafy green domains of Hyungwon the god of the forest and Yoohyeon the goddess of the mountains, followed by the shinning domains of Eunha the goddess of night and day and Changkyun the god of light. Everything is just so much for Sehun to take in. But really everything is beautiful and majestic. 

(If Hoseok visibly brightens by being in Changkyun's domain, Sehun says nothing. It's Kyungsoo and Junmyeon who giggle behind their hands when they lost the god of fate for a few minutes. He comes back looking a little dejected but only for a few minutes when Kyungsoo whispers something in his ears. A heavy blush sets itself on Hoseok's face before the god is hurrying through Eunha's domain, fierce determination in his eyes.) 

Crossing into a section that Sehun can't recognize. Everything is just white and devoid of any color, making Sehun feel a little uncomfortable in almost everything. The previous areas had been bright with color and this one is just... blank. 

Junmyeon leads them through marbled pillars and white eyed temple attendants. These priests and priestesses are a lot quieter than in the following sections. Almost all of them ignore the presence of the three gods but smile at Sehun like they know why he's here. 

One of them stops in front of the four and bows deeply. It's a man with skin the whitest that Sehun has ever seen. His eyes are large and doe like, the white in his eyes sparkling. There's a faint smile on his lips when he stands up, his eyes flickering to Sehun. 

"They're waiting for you," the man says, his voice soft. "Lady Minji says the smaller one." 

Junmyeon hums. "Thank you, Yuta." 

"My pleasure, my lord." Yuta looks to Sehun. "Welcome to the godsrealm, your grace."

Sehun freezes at the honorific before shaking his head. "I'm in no way 'your grace' None." 

Yuta smiles kindly. "Of course you are. You are the current heir to the Arrilyn throne as only a royal child can bare the mark of the old gods." Sehun covers his clothed forearm. Somehow that slipped his mind in the few short hours since he told Jihyo and Daniel that bit of information." Yuta looks to the gods. "Jaehyun and Ten will take you to the throne room as I have a couple of errands to run for Lady Minji." 

"Thank you, Yuta," Kyungsoo says. "You may leave." 

"Of course my lord."

And with that Yuta is gone and in his place are couple more white eyed men. One is shorter than the other with lilac hair and something akin to a smirk on his lips. The other one just rolls his eyes at the smirking temple attendant, and tries to smile at the group. 

"This way," says the taller, his voice a little deeper than what Sehun expected. 

Hoseok begins bouncing on his heels as he walks a little ways away from the group, Kyungsoo and Junmyeon now sighing at his ethustiams. 

"On the way over here," Junmyeon says quietly. "Hoseok was complaining about being away from Changkyun and Seonghwa for too long. We weren't even gone two days and he's like this." 

"It's like he's a child," Kyungsoo whines, "but he is the youngest among the three of us." 

Sehun raises a brow, confused on why they're telling him this. He doesn't say anything, though, not wanting to voice his opinion of how slightly dumb the god of fate is acting but if the other two are saying something, then maybe it's alright. He shakes his head. He's not going there.

Jaehyun and Ten (although at this point, Sehun still doesn't know who is who, only that one is Jaehyun and the other is Ten), lead them into a hallway and stops at the entrance. "Please continue forward," says the lilac hair male. "This will lead you to the smaller throne room. Good day my lords, your grace."

And with that, the two attendants are gone, leaving Sehun to blink in confusion. He doesn't have time to dwell on it when Hoseok takes off running down the hallway causing Junmyeon and Kyungsoo to sigh and follow the younger god. Sehun just watches the three of them, questions forming in his mind. 

These are the human gods? The god of fate is like a bumbling idiot who can't part with his lovers for too long. The other two just let the younger one does as he pleases, only sighing and rolling their eyes at him. How does any of this make any sense? 

Trailing behind the gods, he pays no attention to them, instead watching the pillars go past him. They match the rest of the white decor of this section. The roof opens up suddenly showing a blue sky with two suns and two moons. He would think that the heat from the suns would be too much for him but it's not. There's a small breeze that puts a tiny smile onto his face. It reminds him of standing on the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea and if he listens very carefully to his memory, he can hear Minho giggling in the background. 

Too far into his mind, he bumps against someone's hands followed by the sound of someone screeching "CHANGKYUN!" and "HWA. HWWWWWWWWWA."

"Don't just jump on people," yells Kyungsoo. 

Sehun follows the hand. Junmyeon looks straight. 

"I know you don't like us," Junmyeon starts, "but please try and be on some form of behavior. Suji has a little bit of a temper and won't hesitate to kill you on the spot if she feels that you aren't giving her some kind of respect."

Sehun wants to scoff but he keeps his mouth shut, remembering the stories about the goddess of the ocean and her temperament. It's like the tides of the ocean, one book had said and really Sehun didn't want to get behind that. He nods quietly to Junmyeon who lowers his hand and walks a little more forward than before. 

Sehun doesn't know what he's expecting when he walks into the throne room and it's certainly not this. The actual room itself is massive in size, most likely five times bigger than the ballroom in the Castle of Sin. It's circular with an open roof and twelve pillars that he can only guess are for the twelve gods. In front of each pillar sits a tall throne decorated to the gods' liking. 

The first goddess that Sehun sees is very pale. She sits with her legs crossed over each other and her hands in her lap. She wears a white two piece that shows a little bit of her midriff. Over her white top is a long sleeve half jacket with puffy sleeves and gold embroidery running down the middle and the sleeves. 

White and gold, the colours of the sky goddess, JiU.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Kyungsoo begins to grow taller to fit into his chair made out of massive stones. He sits with a smile on his face and a brow cocked. 

Next to him sits a woman on a black and white throne. Her dark hair hangs above her shoulders giving her a little bit of a youthful look. Her eyes are heterochromic, one black and one white with the pattern continuing into her clothes. She wears black shorts and a black jacket with white button running down on the left and the right side of her chest. 

Black and white, the colours of the night and day goddess, Eunha. 

Next to Eunha is an empty throne made of vines and branches. The branches twist elegantly enough to form a place for the missing god to sit. Sehun wouldn't have guessed who it belonged to if it wasn't for the animal and human skulls at the bottom of the throne. 

Life and death, the symbols of the forest and death god, Hyungwon. 

Hyungwon's empty seat is next to a woman in red and black. She sits on a throne of clocks and sundials causing Sehun to wince a bit. How is that comfortable? She smiles at him, twirling the edges of her long dark hair. She wears a red dress that is ruffled at the hem and bodice. 

Clocks and sundials, symbols of the time goddess, Seulgi. 

He's not entirely sure of when Junmyeon had stopped being anywhere near him as he sat on his throne made of wet limestone, his blue eyes twinkling at they stared at him before looking to his left. 

The last goddess on this side, watches Sehun with calculating gold and dark green eyes on her grassy throne. Her long grey hair reaches her thighs when she sits, twirling the ends of her hair like Seulgi. She raises a brow when Sehun meets her eyes causing him to look away quickly, not forgetting to note how similar her clothes are to Minji's only in gold and dark green.

Dark green and gold, the colours of the mountain goddess, Yoohyeon. 

"Hoseok," comes Minji's voice forcing all of the attention on her. "You can make out with Seonghwa in a bit. We have more pressing matters to attend to." 

Sehun glances at where Hoseok sits on his own throne made of glass and silver. His arms are snaked around the midsection on a very pale man, whose face is bright red. His hair is blonde and combed away from his face. He wears a tan jacket that looks slightly too big for him and light pants tucked into boots. Sehun doesn't have to look at his throne to know that his man is Seonghwa, god of fauna. 

"Who is this child?" a female voice comes next to Hoseok. 

Her eyes bore into Sehun's entire being when he looks at her. He takes in the dark hair, the red lips, and the nasty smile that its turned up too. Uncrossing her legs only to cross them again, the goddess of the ocean scoffs before crossing her arms over her light blue dress, her movement causing one of the shells to fall off her throne. 

"This is the Child of Four," Hoseok says, stilling holding onto Seonghwa who is now watching Sehun with interest. "Oh Sehun." 

"Is it now?" says a female voice causing Sehun to turn. 

The woman's dark hair and eyes scan Sehun's form. Her pale lips stretched into a smile as she stands from her fiery throne. Dusting off red shorts, her entire body shrinks down to Sehun's size. She circles him like a predator waiting to catch its prey. Stopping in front of him, Sehun watches as her dark eyes begin to flicker with flames before she's turning on her heel and sizing up to her throne. 

Red, the color of the fire goddess, Yuju. 

"He doesn't look like much, Hoseokkie," comes a male voice. 

Next to Yuju's throne sits a man who looks a little bored. He sits on a throne covered in different styles of lanterns, each one bathing the room in a warm light. His clothes are warm, his shirt, a long sleeve cool brown and his pants, a darker brown cause Sehun to gently coo in his mind. 

Sehun shakes his head. He's not thinking of this. He needs to hear what they have to say before he makes his decision. He crosses his arms and meets with Changkyun's stare before smacking his lips and looking away. The god of light huffs. 

"And he's an ass," Changkyun says. 

"He is!" Hoseok says happily. "I've been trying to figure out why but the only thing I can figure out is a man by the name of Minho." 

Sehun has to force himself not to roll his eyes as he can feel Junmyeon's stare on the side of his face. He told the fresh water god that he would behave and he's going to do just that.

"Like Hoseo-"

"Wonho," Hoseok reminds him. 

Sehun tries not to let out a noise. "Like Wonho said, I am the Child of Four and I am here to listen to what it is you have to say." He looks to Minji who raises a brow. 

"What we have to say?" 

Junmyeon's stare is heavy against the side of his face but he ignores it. 

"Yes," he says. "Because I despise the humans gods and currently have no will to help you out." 

A loud 'what' filters through Sehun's ears and he's pretty sure that he can feel the heat coming from Yuju's throne but he doesn't care and keeps his eyes look straight at JiU who looks right back at him. Nodding, she hushes her fellow gods before looking back to Sehun and raising a brow. 

"May I know why you don't want to help your gods?" she asks and Sehun nearly snarls. He remembers what he told Junmyeon. 

"First, you are not my gods," Sehun says, his voice low. "I pay homage and tribute to the gods of old, the same gods in which I am destined to wake." 

Suji snorts and Junmyeon's glare is harsh on his face. 

“You worship the animal gods?” She says. 

“I do,” Sehun says, his tone serious. “I worship the Kraken in the south, the Griffin in the east, the Dragon in the north, and the Unicorn in the west. I believe in what they stand for more than I believe what you stand for.” 

“You’re a son of Arrilyn through and through,” says Yoohyeon. Sehun doesn’t comment. 

"And second, I do not trust you," he continues like he doesn't feel Junmyeon's glare or that Suji didn't interrupted him. "Time and time again, someone I care about has repeatedly asked for your help and time and time again, you have failed. You gave him childish reasons as, 'I don't feel like it' or 'no, it won't help my image'. So why must I help gods who have failed to help those I care about?"

JiU nods in understanding, although her eyes flare with disappointment. "You raise wonderful points, child of old, but that does not help your case. Think of helping us this way. You help us and the world will be saved. You'll become a hero to so many." 

Sehun snarls at her. "Do you think that I want to become a hero to clean up one of your messes? I know our version of how you placed my gods to sleep and it's put you in a light of jealousy and betrayal. Is there one that is different?" 

"There is not," a female voice says softly. "The child of old is correct." 

"Eunha," JiU says. "Please." 

"Well, Minji," Eunha says her voice calm and collected. "I'm sure the boy would much rather we be honest with him. He's come this far because someone has asked him too and not because he wants to help us. He just said so himself, did he not?"

Sehun has to give it to the goddess day and night, she's one of the only goddess that he's come across that has actually listened to what it is that he needs to say. He looks at and finds her black and white eyes watching him. He nods to her. 

"This is ridiculous," Suji nearly snarls. "We're at the beck and call of a human child who bears the mark of the four animals? Are you kidding me?" 

"Suji." JiU says. "Enough." 

Suji huffs in her seat. "We've only made peace with the scum of Arrylin because it was needed and now we need to make peace with their heir? Really?" 

"Suji." 

"No, Minji. We need to put the humans in their place. We are the gods and I demand that we get the respect that we deserve." She turns her eyes onto Sehun. "And you're going to do what you're told." 

Sehun laughs, his brows raising. "Do you think I'm going to help you after you act like a spoiled child, dearest goddess?" he spats the last two words out like they are acid on this tongue. Heat rises in his body and to his cheeks. His vision is beginning to tunnel red. "If this is the gods that my queen wants me to help, then I must apologize to her. I will refuse to help you." 

Suji growls. "Then the human race will declare war on their gods. We will not help them with whatever it is they need." 

"Suji, that is enough," Minji nearly shouts. She stands from her throne, her chest heaving in anger. "Do not make me repeat my words again." She turns to Sehun and just stares at him. "And you, she is correct. If you refuse then it will mean war against the humans." 

"The humans or the Kingdom of Arrilyn. Last time I checked, I was the heir of the kingdom, am I not? The humans in Tignet have nothing to do with what goes on in Deokhwa." 

Silence takes to the room. Twelve pairs of eyes watch Sehun as he takes his deep breaths, his entire body shaking in anger. He's well aware of how heavy Junmyeon's stare is on his shoulders and he's well aware of what this can mean to the people he's grown up with, but if they truly want his help in everything, then they best act like the gods they are supposed to be and not the children that the stories have painted them out. 

JiU opens her mouth to say something but she never gets the chance to retort. A man wearing a black pants and a black low-cut shirt walks in. His hair is shaggy and his eyes forest green. He smiles when he passes Sehun, his size growing to sit on the last chair. Tugging at the lace collar around his neck, he barely casts anyone else a glance as he sits. 

"It's almost time," he says. 

"Hyungwon," Kyungsoo sighs. "Minji called the meeting a while ago." 

"I know," Hyungwon says. "But I have a job to do as well. I keep telling you guys that in the middle of the Move, I can't do anything but you refuse to listen." 

The Move? 

"Yes, well this is more important," Suji nearly snarls. "We're dealing with a dumb human who won't listen to us." 

Sehun's nearly had it with this goddess. He doesn't care if she's any form of the female race, he wants to punch in her face and force her to listen to the utter bullshit she's spilling. But before Sehun can blow a gasket Hyungwon snorts. 

"You're being dumb again, Suzy," he says. "Not everyone is going to listen to you just because you want them too. Besides, this is very important both to their world and to ours and I wish you would just listen to me for once about this. You would think I would know what I'm talking about when it when I talk about the dead and what I need to be doing." 

Suji just stares at Hyungwon, her face beginning to turn red but she says nothing. Hyungwon looks back to Sehun and smiles. 

"Oh Sehun," he says, "I've heard a lot about you." 

This causes Sehun to rise a brow. "What?" 

"You heard me, I've heard a lot about you from a little birdy or really a kitten." 

Sehun sucks in a breath. Who would talk to the god of death about him? He didn't know his parents and he didn't have very many friends... his thoughts trail off. He knows who and the fact that he can guess who caused his heart to stop a little. He stares wide eyed at the death god for a couple of moments before looking away and trying to collect himself. 

"Oh," is all he says and Hyungwon smiles. 

"Does this change things?" 

Sehun looks to JiU who looks back at him. Her hand are folded in her lap almost like she expects an answer from him. He says nothing. JiU starts to look annoyed.

"Does this change things?" she asks again. 

"Does what change what?" Sehun asks. 

"The fact that someone close to yo-" 

"That's not going to change anything. I'm still going to stand by what I said."

He barely has to glance at Suji to know that she's about to blow up. He braces himself for the worst when there's a small gasp coming from someone. He looks to Eunha whose eyes are focused behind him. Sehun turns around slowly. 

Light. The first thing that he sees is light. 

“It’s begun,” Hyungwon says. “The Move.” 

Sehun has been to many places and seen many different things but never in his life has he seen something like this. 

There has to be millions of them, little white balls of lights floating above their heads. Some twirl around each other like they’re dancers leaping at each other. The light that emits from them is soft and warm, a comfortable feeling passing through the room. For a moment, everyone forgets the hostility that came with Sehun and his words, as they watch the small balls of light begin to move down. 

“This is the Move,” Hyungwon says to Sehun who watches everything with wide eyes. “The Move are the souls that my lieutenants and I have hand picked to get another chance at life. They won’t remember the life they left and will only know the life they have been given.” 

Tears form in Sehun’s eyes as he looks to the kind death god who smiles gently at him. His mind empties of everything but the wonder if Minho was selected in this ritual of rebirth. If there was anyone who deserved that, it would be him. He opens his mouth to ask but shuts it because that’s not something he wishes to know. How would he feel if his lover was to be reborn and not know who he is when he’s been grieving so much? 

That’s not something Sehun wishes to feel. 

But it seems Hoseok has something else in mind. 

A small little light flitters its way out of the path and swirls around Sehun. His body begins to feel warm and tingly inside. He feels like he’s on an adventure to some far away place, waiting by the fire and telling stories to an eager Minho. 

The light flies out in front of him, the light flickering slightly until it takes a humanoid figure, one that Sehun knows all too well. 

It’s like he’s been punched in the gut, looking at a face he never thought he would see again. The lips form a kitten smile, and his eyes are the same dark brown that Sehun fell in love with. His skin is yellow but Sehun supposes that it comes with the light that shines through. 

“Minho,” Sehun whispers, his eyes wide. 

“Hi you little shit,” Minho says with a blinding smile. 

Someone snorts. 

Sehun’s vision tunnels. He knows that he doesn't have a lot of time but there are so many things he wants to say. He wants to ask if he's been well and he wants to tell him that he'll always love him, but nothing comes out. The only thing that comes out of his mouth is a loud sob that somehow passed his lips. He covers his mouth and just stares. 

Minho smiles, the end of his lips curling into that forever familiar grin. 

"Don't cry," he says. 

"I never thought that I would get to see you again."

"After this you won't." 

"I know." Sehun takes a deep breath. 

Minho stares at Sehun as if he's trying to take all that is his previous lover while Sehun just stares back. He doesn't mind that he's doing what he told himself he wouldn't be doing because this, this is Minho floating in front of him. Minho who used to fight with him when he forgot to shower or when he didn't eat. Minho who would cry when Sehun used to tell stories of forgotten wars or tales of long lost lovers meeting again. 

"You know," Minho says quietly. "I think you should help them." 

Sehun really looks into Minho's eyes before looking down. "But they a-" 

"They're gods, Hun. They couldn't always answer my prayers to them." 

"They could," Sehun whispers. 

"And that's just how life is. We win some and we lose some." Sehun nods. "I know how much you hate losing some but remember Oh Sehun, that's just how that's works." Sehun nods again with tears in his eyes. "But that doesn't mean you can't protect the world that we love. Protect it, Hun. Protect the world were we fell in love with the stars and protect the world where Lisa can grow up." Sehun nods again, blinking back his tears. 

Minho reaches out and tries to touch Sehun's cheek. His fingers go through and both of them close their eyes. 

"Wake the animals. Create balance again." 

Minho's light begins to fade causing Sehun to begin to panic. He can't lose Minho, not again. He reaches for the fading light, but Minho only smiles brightly at him. His fingers pass through Minho's figure like he's made of nothing but air. He reaches again and again but the same thing happens. 

"Protect Hun," Minho says the more his life fades into the small floating ball. 

Minho's ball of light flies back into the crowd of light but Sehun never takes his eyes off it. He watches as it soars through the air before dropping into the ground and out of sight. 

All is silent in the throne room. Sehun stares at the ground in disbelief but his thoughts are racing. If Minho is going to be reborn, then what kind of world is Minho going to live in if Sehun doesn't do what he's destined to do? Will Minho even live in the world that Sehun will create? 

He turns around and walks towards the entrance. There's a couple of shouts coming from behind him but he doesn't turn around. 

If Sehun doesn't save the world, then will Minho be reborn? He wants Minho to be reborn. He wants to give Minho the life he could never have. He wants to do all of this but he can't. Not unless he does what he must. 

"Who was he?" comes Eunha's voice. "Minho." 

He stops at the entrance and doesn't turn around but his voice is loud and somewhat clear. He can hear the cracks that fall from his lips and dear gods, there's that sob in his throat. 

"Where do we go?" he asks instead of answering Eunha's question. 

A scoff comes from Suji. "Now you want to hel-" 

"Who was he?" Eunha asks again quietly. 

"The man I was going to marry," Sehun whispers. "Now I would like to wake the four animal gods so he can live in peace but I don't know where to go. So tell me, where do I go?" 

Sehun is met with silence and he supposes he deserves that, but if he wants Minho to be reborn in a happy place, then he knows that he has to work together with these idiots known as the human gods. 

May his gods save his soul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that's that. i want to continue this and i really might but i have so many different stories ongoing that i might not. but i also might surprise myself and continue this. i have a lot of things planned for the rest of the story ie, the locations of the old animal gods and all of that.... so there's a very big chance that i might... maybe. ^^ 
> 
> but i really hope that y'all enjoyed!


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